As artificial intelligence matures — and as various industries grapple with unprecedented changes — the fundamentals might not have changed all that much. Instead, enterprises are learning that a robust data strategy is as crucial as ever.  

Whether it is Europe, the Middle East, Africa or Latin America, customers face different regulations and economies, but the same question: how to turn data sprawl into results. The value still sits in a company’s own information, and without a clear plan the underlying systems won’t be be built to last, according to Giovanna Sangiorgi (pictured), senior vice president and general manager, EMEA and LATAM at NetApp Inc.

Giovanna Sangiorgi talks with theCUBE about regional growth and the value of a robust data strategy.

“The biggest opportunity for every company at the end — it comes from their data,” she said. “Not everyone has already defined their data strategy. Without a clear data strategy [or] infrastructure, the data infrastructure is not necessarily fit for its purpose.”

Sangiorgi spoke with theCUBE’s Christophe Bertrand at the NetApp Insight 2025 event, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how despite a huge diversity of compliance needs across the world, the core importance of a robust data strategy remains key. (* Disclosure below.) 

As AI takes hold, data strategy remains a constant

NetApp’s pitch lands where policy meets practice: Enterprises must deliver an intelligent data architecture that handles sovereignty, security and scale. Examples include NetApp’s work with the European Space Agency in curating a “digital library of the universe” to public-sector programs that rework defense postures, Sangiorgi explained. But in this climate, boards are funding AI even when the exact payoff remains hazy.

“Everyone across the region… is making investment around AI,” she said. “Maybe they have not yet decided what they can get from AI, but there is no doubt this is a need.”

This investment does not necessarily mean the promises matter more than the operating detail. Power and cooling push new European builds north, while Middle East plans tie AI to national goals for 2030. To navigate this scope, the idea is to keep information where it lives – be that on-premises, in clouds or in hybrids – and move the models to it, Sangiorgi explained. 

“The ability to effectively bring AI to the data instead of the opposite is the key to dramatically reduce the level of ‘insuccess’ that many of the AI initiatives are having at the moment,” she said. “Our solution eliminates data silos so AI can be deployed more cost-effectively, efficiently, at scale and securely across cloud and hybrid environments.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the NetApp Insight 2025 event:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the NetApp Insight event. Neither NetApp, the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE